Plovers- ORDER: Charadriiformes
- FAMILY: Charadriidae
Basic Description
A specialist hunter of fiddler crabs, the Wilson's Plover is a heavy-billed shorebird of sandy beaches in the southern United States and in coastal South America. It blends in well with its shell-strewn beach habitat, and its plaintive call is often the first clue to its presence. These sandy brown birds look like a small Killdeer or a larger, bigger-billed Semipalmated Plover, with a single, broad breast band. Wilson’s Plover is vulnerable to beach disturbance and development, and is a Red Alert Tipping Point species, indicating a species of high conservation concern.
More ID InfoFind This Bird
Wilson’s Plovers seldom wander far from ocean coastlines. They’re rarely very numerous, and they can stay fairly high on the beach where they blend in with the dunes. They’re most visible when they forage along salt flats or mudflats during lower tides, when a careful scan may turn them up. As with many shorebirds, it’s helpful to have a spotting scope or join a bird walk where the leader will bring one along to help view the birds at distance.
Other Names
- Chorlitejo Piquigrueso (Spanish)
- Pluvier de Wilson (French)